Lobbyists Subject To New Rules

Hospital District Forces Disclosure

Lobbyists trying to influence the South Broward Hospital District will soon be forced to disclose who's paying them, and how much, under a policy the tax-assisted agency's board passed Wednesday.

District officials said they want to avoid the criticism leveled against the county's other public hospital system.

The behavior of lobbyists has not been an issue at the Hollywood-based south district, also known as Memorial Healthcare System. But physicians and suppliers have criticized the North Broward Hospital District in Fort Lauderdale in recent months for giving lobbyists too much power over contracts. The north district expects to debate its own proposed lobbying restrictions in August.

Memorial Chief Executive Frank Sacco said the new policy was based on restrictions already instituted by the Broward County Commission and the Broward County School District.

"We're starting to see everyone have this," Sacco said. "If the other district passes one, we'd be the only one without one. This just keeps everything out in the open."

The new restrictions say that anyone paid to lobby the hospital board or staff, either to win a contract or influence a policy decision, must register in writing and disclose who is paying them.

They also must reveal their fees and how much they spend on gifts, meals or other expenses to influence the hospital system and its seven-member board. Board members are appointed by the governor.

Lobbyists would be forbidden to make contact with the district once proposals or bids for a contract have been submitted.

Violators can be banned from lobbying at the district for up to six months. Unlike the county, the south district will not fine violators, Sacco said. Residents and executives of companies seeking contracts are not affected by the new rules.

"We didn't want to overreact and scare off people from speaking to the commissioners," said district board member Carlos Reyes.

North district General Counsel William Scherer on Wednesday released a draft of a similar proposal, to go before a subcommittee of his district's board. That subcommittee is headed by board Chairman J. Luis Rodriguez, who first called for the lobbying restrictions in May.

The north district has given no-bid contracts to several doctors who were represented by the law firm of James Blosser, a Republican activist who also belongs to a Tallahassee firm that is one of the north district's chief lobbyists before state government.

Competing physicians have said Blosser's ties to the district and Gov. Jeb Bush gave Blosser's clients an unfair edge.

"The least we can do is take some corrective action, instead of hiding in the bunker and hoping the other side runs out of bullets before we do," Rodriguez told his board last week.

Bob LaMendola can be reached at blamendola@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4526.